Improve facilities, AFC tells Pakistan

PFF given a month to improve state of pitch, lights, lockers rooms and re-paint the chairs in the public stand. PHOTO: PFF/FILE

KARACHI:

Pakistan needs to improve facilities at the People’s Stadium, which is due to host the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U16 qualifiers in September, stated the visiting AFC officials.

Saudi Arabia’s Mohamed Salman Namshan and Japan’s Suminori Gokoh, part of the AFC team here to inspect the venue, have given the Pakistan Football Federation a month to improve the state of the pitch, lights, lockers rooms and re-paint the chairs in the public stand as well.

“The AFC officials have expressed their concerns about the pitch conditions and facilities here,” a PFF official told The Express Tribune. “But everything can be fixed. The lights and training grounds available for the teams to practice can all be sorted out.

“The officials said the itch was not up to the mark and we need to have more grass on it. They said that there should be at least four changing rooms, while we only have two. So they weren’t entirely happy but they’ve given us a month and we’ll work on the issues before they visit People’s Stadium again.”

The PFF will be hosting its first international football tournament in September, with teams coming from the UAE, Iran and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the official added that the AFC was satisfied with the team organising the AFC U16 qualifiers.

“The AFC officials understand that Pakistan is a developing country, they trust us to hold the event successfully.”